Clockwork
by Pyralspite
Summary: "If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know?" set in future AU. Many elements of sci-fi and alternate universes.
1. Chapter 1: FOUND

**A/N: Okay, so this is a plot bunny that I couldn't get out of my head. Its based off a post on tumblr, that had a certian prompt.**

**"If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know?"**

**I swear, I could feel the plot building in my head.**

**Anyway, this is based on a futuristic Panem, where a technology would make it so that every baby born had a Digital type timer embedded into their wrist, determining the moment they would meet their soul mate.**

**This plot is also very AU. Kinda modern day setting with futuristic aspects.**

**NOTE: To the readers of my other story "The Deserted Trail," **

**I will not be neglecting that story to write this one. The updates on the two stories may slow down a day or two, but nonetheless, im going to continue both of them.**

**Okay, I'm going to stop bugging you guys now, and let you read.**

* * *

_"If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know?"_

* * *

I checked my wrist.

Today was the day.

The day I meet him.

I sat in the cafeteria, pulling at my braid. I glanced at my wrist, where the clock was ticking down. A nervous shiver went through me.

0 days, 0 hours, 3 minutes, 22 seconds.

I pulled on the end of my blue skirt. Somehow, my mother had managed to force me into a white blouse and blue skirt. I absolutely hated it.

0 days, 0 hours, 3 minutes, 5 seconds.

I looked over at my friend Gale, who was fidgeting nervously in his seat. He would meet his soul mate today too. His timer ended two minutes after mine. I looked over at Madge, who looked on the verge of a breakdown. She had told me her timer ended today, but did not specify a time.

0 days, 0 hours, 2 minutes, 40 seconds.

I looked around the cafeteria, seeing if there was anyone else looking around. Somewhere within this school, there was a guy whose wrist held the same time. He was experiencing the same nerves I was.

0 days, 0 hours, 2 minutes, 10 seconds.

I wiped my sweaty hands on my skirt. Oh god, I couldn't do this. My heart pounded in my ears.

0 days, 0 hours, 1 minute, 50 seconds.

I felt Gale put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I looked over and smiled at him.

"Don't worry Katniss, you'll be okay" he said, reassuringly.

0 days, 0 hours, 1 minute, 30 seconds.

An unforeseen force was pulling at me. I got up, picked up my tray, and walked to the garbage can. I threw it in a checked my wrist.

0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes, 50 seconds.

I stood there, paralyzed in fear for a moment, wondering what he'd look like. What color would his hair be? Would he be short, or tall? Would he be fat? What color would his eyes be? Is he attractive?

0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes, 10 seconds.

I started walking back towards my table

0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes, 5 seconds

I took a deep breath, I could see Gale and Madge in sight.

A shock went through my system, as suddenly, I crashed right into someone. I felt like I was falling backwards. I winced as my butt hit the floor. I looked across at who bumped into me.

I was met by startling blue eyes, as I felt my heart speed up. The boy across from me looked at me in shock. He held out his hand to help me up. I accepted it, and got up.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. His eyes suddenly widened, as he looked at his wrist. I looked down at mine.

0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds.

We looked at eachother the same time, mouths slightly ajar in shock. My gray eyes widened, as I realized what this meant. I looked back at my wrist, where the clock was replaced by a single word

FOUND

I had found my soulmate.

The boy across from me was smiling slightly now. I looked at him, as he held out his hand.

"Hello, my name's Peeta Mellark. It seems that we're soul mates,"

* * *

**And there's the end of the first chapter. I know, its pretty short. I'm not really too sure if I should go on, or just make this a one shot. I'm gonna give ch.2 a try.**

**review's are appreciated, they help me improve my writing and offer some encouragement to write faster.**

**~Reaper**


	2. Chapter 2: Introductions

**A/N: This chapter is a basic intro of the first three months after they become soul mates. The plot will pick up more at the next chapter.**

**Be sure to read the author's note at the bottom for more info. this chapter is quite slow, and this is definitely not how the rest of the fanfic is going to go.**

**there is also a poll on my profile page asking how i should make this story go. be sure to go there and take it if you guys have time.**

**thanks for all the great reviews and favorites. they really helped as a source of encouragement.**

* * *

"Hello, my name's Peeta Mellark. It seems that we're soul mates"

I had seen Peeta Mellark around school over the years. He was in a couple of my classes, but no words had been shared between us. He hadn't even noticed me throughout the years, other than a simple smile once in a while, to which I returned a scowl.

I stood there, my mouth open slightly, as his word's echoed around my head.

_It seems that we're soul mates._

I'd always known that I would find my soul mate. The first time I asked about the wrist timer was when I was six years old. I remember that day very well.

"_Mama, what's a soul mate?"_

_She asked her mother the question curiously, cocking her head to the side. Her pigtails bounced when she moved her head. Her mother looked at her and chuckled._

"_Now Katniss, why would you ask that?" She said in her calm voice, sweet as honey._

"_A couple of the kids at school said that the timers on our hands would help us find our soul mates," she said._

"_Well Katniss, a soul mate is your other half. There's a boy somewhere out there who has the same time on his timer. When his timer runs out, he'll find you. You know Daddy and I, we're soul mates. We love eachother, we complete eachother. We're our other halves,"_

_Katniss looked at her mother, her eyebrows furrowed. "I don't get it mommy. There's a boy out there who's my other half? I don't understand."_

_Her mother only chuckled and looked at her sweetly. "You'll understand one day. One day, you'll meet this boy, and it'll all make sense,"_

"Um, are you alright?"

His voice seemed to snap me out of my memory. I looked at him, his hand still outstretched in greeting. I shook my head, and grasped his hand. It was warm and rough.

"I'm Katniss Everdeen, it's a pleasure to meet you," I said stiffly. He laughed.

"The pleasure's all mine Miss Everdeen,"

I looked at him seriously for the first time. He was taller than me by a few inches. He was lean but muscular, with a smirk that could light up this room. He had light blonde messy hair, which curled slightly at the ends. I looked at his eyes and stopped.

His eyes were gorgeous. They were tie-dyed shades of blue, ranging from light blue near the center, to dark blue flecked with a small amount of green near the edges.

We stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously

"Well Katniss, since we're soul mates, I think we should get to know eachother better. Meet me in front of Mr. Bogg's room afterschool," he said. "It was lovely meeting you Katniss,"

"We would've met anyway, that's kinda how this soul mate thing works," I said quietly. He chuckled as he turned around slowly. He waved goodbye, and walked away, as I stood there dumbfounded. What had just happened?

I turned around and walked to my table, my mind in a whirl over what had just happened. I had met my soul mate. I had met the person I was supposedly going to fall in love with. I arrived at the table, only to see Madge and Gale staring at eachother, their eyes wide and mouths open. Their faces were bright red.

"Whats up with you two?" I asked, looking at them back and forth.

"We-we're soul mates," Madge stuttered, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.

"We were just talking, and suddenly, our arms touched and our timers ran out, and we felt this weird jolt. Then we got this message on our wrists," Gale said, his voice and octave higher than usual. He flipped up his wrist, and his timer displayed the same message mine had after I bumped into Peeta.

FOUND

* * *

I waited outside Mr. Boggs' room, clutching the strap of my backpack tightly. This was where he told me to meet him. I looked at the mob of kids going through the hallway, excited for the weekend. It was bright and sunny outside, the perfect vision of a June day. School was about to end in a week or so, so many of the students were kicking back, due to the fact that finals were already over.

I decided to wait for ten more minutes, then leave if he didn't show. I looked around, as the hallway got emptier and quieter. I saw my sixteen year old sister, Prim, and Gale's brother, Rory, walking down the hallway. They were both juniors, a grade below Gale, Madge, and I.

"Hey Katniss. Who are you waitin' for?" Prim said in her sweet voice. I looked into her blue eyes, and felt myself blush a bit.

"U-um, nobody really," I said, trying to act nonchalant. Prim saw right through my façade.

"OOOh, by the way, weren't you supposed to meet your soul mate today?"

"Yes Prim, I did," I said, cutting her off abruptly. I felt slightly uncomfortable discussing this. Rory snickered from behind her.

"Seems like Katniss is a bit…..lovestruck?" He said, smirking. The little creep. He shouldn't be one to talk. Whenever someone asked about his timer, he always diverted the topic. He'd gone as far as taping his timer in order to keep his time a secret. Apparently it was a "weird timing," and he didn't want anyone to know. He hadn't even shown Prim, who was his closest friend.

"She does seem lovestruck," Prim piped up. Oh dear mother of all that is holy, are they seriously implying that I like this guy? I met him like, two hours ago.

"I barely know him Rory, he told me to meet him afterschool," I said, immediately regretting giving out this detail.

"AWWWWW! He probably wants to take you out on a date! Who is this so-called soul mate anyway?" Prim squealed out. I cringed slightly, getting ready to answer her.

"Hey Katniss!"

Speak of the Devil.

I turned to see Peeta walking down the hallway, backpack slung over one shoulder. I felt the heat suffuse in my face, and could hear Prim and Rory snickering from beside me.

"Well Katniss, we'll leave you two alone then," Prim said, linking her arm with Rory's. They walked away, snickering and chuckling to themselves.

Peeta bounded up, a smile on his face. I scowled. He seemed way too happy about this.

"Ready to go?" he said. I froze. Go where exactly? Where was he taking me? A sudden image of my dead body lying in a dark alley assaulted me, as I shook the thought away. He must have seen the scared look on my face, because he chuckled and shook his head.

"Don't worry; I'm taking you to my family's bakery. If we're going to be soul mates, I think we should get to know eachother better, and I think the bakery is the best way to get to know me," he said, smiling. I let out a breath of air I didn't even know I was holding in. He smiled warmly at me, sending a warm tingle down my spine.

He led me to his hoverbike, which was on the other side of the parking lot. The hoverbike was a new vehicle invented by the geniuses in District three, a small mechanic town on the other side of the state of Panem. It was cheap and efficient, and all young adults were given one on their sixteenth birthday. It was basically a base and a handle sticking up in the front. It was made so that you can comfortably stand on it, and a chair could be locked onto it for longer trips. Once you stepped onto it, a weak forcefield surrounded the hovercraft tightly, to minimize the risk of an accident.

It was basically the best thing the Capitol had ever done.

Peeta and I stood up on his hoverbike. He quickly pressed a button, and it jolted upwards about a foot. As the hoverbike jolted up, I lost my balance and wrapped my arms around his waist tightly so that my front was flush against his back, and squinched my eyes shut. I felt him stiffen and freeze in front of me, and then relax once more.

"Yeah, should've warned you about that. Sorry bout' that. My brother Rye took it for a spin once, and did something to it. It always shoots up that way now," he said, his voice retaining that cheery demeanor. I loosened by grip on him as the hoverbike started up, and we raced across town. I closed my eyes and sighed as I felt the breeze whip across my face.

* * *

"Well, here we are," I heard Peeta say as the hovercraft jolted to a stop. I opened my eyes, and there in front of me was his family bakery. I remember coming to this bakery multiple times with my father over the years, but I don't remember ever seeing him here. I look at the sign above my head that said "Mellark's bakery," and wondered how I could have missed it.

The hoverbike landed slowly, and Peeta parked it. I realized I was still holding onto him. I quickly released my grip and jumped away, my cheeks blazing, but Peeta seemed unfazed. He took the key out of the ignition, and led me inside. The inside was cosy, quaint, with a few tables and booths here and there. A delicious smell floated out of the back room, and I felt my mouth water. My father brought me strawberry cupcakes from this bakery every Saturday.

"Mom, Dad, I'm back!" he yelled. I heard some shuffling in the back room. Peeta led me towards the counter, as a tall man came out of the back. He was around an inch taller than Peeta, and had similar features, such as blue eyes and blonde hair. However, this man's hair was a shade darker than Peeta's ashy blonde, and his eyes were about two shades darker. He had smile lines around the edges of his eyes, and laugh lines lining his mouth.

"Hello Peeta. Did you have a good day at school today?" his father asked, ruffling his son's hair. It was a tender gesture, and brought a small smile to my face. His father turned to me.

"Oh, and who may you be?" he asked, extending his hand forward. I reached out and shook it.

"Katniss Everdeen sir, it's nice to meet you," I said warmly, liking this man already. Mr. Mellark froze for a moment, looking at me, but then he relaxed a bit. His eyes held something different now though, they seemed somber, almost sad.

"Nice to meet you Katniss. My name is Jacob Mellark," he said smiling. "Now you must be a special girl for Peeta to bring you here. He never brings girl's to the bakery. He only brought Delly once, and that was it,"

"Well dad, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Peeta said, shuffling his feet slightly. He held my wrist with the timer on it, and held it up with his own timed wrist. Peeta's father's eyes widened as he viewed the two matching labels.

FOUND

"You two are….soul mates?" he said, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. Peeta nodded. Suddenly out of nowhere, he swooped down and gave me a hug. I let out a surprised squeak. "Well then Katniss, you are quite special," he said.

* * *

An hour later, both Peeta and I were covered in flour and laughing hysterically. He had tried to teach me how to bake, while asking me about my life, and telling me about his. I found he was relatively easy to talk to, and I opened up to him about my little sister, my loving mother, my disabled father. He told me about his eldest brother, John, who was stern, but nice once you got to know him, and his middle brother Ryden, who everyone had affectionately nicknamed "Rye". Right now, he was telling me about one of Rye's misadventures, which involved a carton of eggs, and Peeta's shorts. We were cracking up, while the bread was baking in the oven. Peeta was showing me how to make cheese buns, and honestly, It's not that hard. We got half the flour on ourselves, mainly from me accidentally pressing my hand down on the floury dough too hard, which caused a puff of flour to come out of it. We were sitting on the floor of the kitchen, behind the Island, laughing to ourselves.

"Peeta! Are you there?" a voice called from the kitchen door. Peeta stopped laughing, and his smile faltered slightly. He got up to face the person at the door.

"Hello mother," he said, his tone a bit strained. He reached his hand down towards me. I accepted it and pulled myself up.

His mother was standing at the door, smiling lightly at Peeta, but the smile melted off her face instantly as she saw me.

"Peeta, who is this?" she asked, her voice stern. Her green eyes were bright, but they held some emotion I could not place. Peeta gently answered her.

"Mother, do you remember my timer? Remember how today I was supposed to meet my soul mate? This is Katniss Everdeen. She's my soul mate," he said, raising his wrist much as he had with his father. I raised mine too and nodded at the woman. She softened slightly.

"Everdeen? Are you by any chance Lilac Everdeen's daughter?"

"Yes I am Mrs. Mellark," I asked, curiosity piqued, "How did you know my mother's name?"

"She and I were good friends when we were younger, and my husband used to date her, until he found me when we were twenty. Big coincidence that you two ended up soul mates,"

I stared in shock at Mrs. Mellark. My mother, used to date….the baker? I looked over at Peeta and saw an equal look of shock written all over his face. We stared back at Mrs. Mellark, who was looking at me with a tiny smile. At this smile, Peeta seemed even more shocked.

"Lilac was one of my best friends. It's nice to meet you Katniss," she said, exiting the room. Peeta stared after her dumbfounded.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen her smile that easily before. You really are something Katniss," Peeta said, looking at me. I decided not to push the subject. I shrugged my shoulders and went over to the oven to check on the bread.

* * *

Over three months passed smoothly in our lives. I grew closer to Peeta, regarding him as both a friend and a partner. As much as I hate to admit it now, I was falling for him. Warm butterflies filled my stomach whenever we met, and I would find myself zoning out very often, thinking about him. We spent the first month of summer together, and I got to know his family, while he got to know mine. Prim absolutely adored him, while his mother warmed up to me greatly, even coming over to my house once to say hello to her old friend.

In fact, everything was fine until Peeta started helping his friend Beetee with his new invention.

Little did he know, by choosing to help his friend, he would be throwing our lives into a tailspin of events I never thought possible.

* * *

**Okay, I know that chapter was a little slow. In this fanfic, there are elements of dimensional and time travel, so if you dont like that type of stuff, i wouldn't recommend reading this. In this fanfic, some characters are also OOC, such as . I did that on purpose, It will make sense later in the story.**

**In the next chapter, I will be introducing Beetee and his soul mate Wiress. They are crucial to the story. In a sense, they're the one's who start it all. :D**

**Anyway, I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can.**

**I really appreciate the reviews. They motivate me to write faster when I realize people actually like my Ideas. I would also appreciate that if you find something that doesn't look right, or have any advice, that you write a review on it. I love reviews with advice, and they really help me become a better writer.**

**REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED.**

**thanks guys. **

**~Reaper**


	3. Chapter 3: Tailspin

**A/N: Woot! Long chapter for you guys. The first part of it is mostly fluffy, but the second part is when the shocker comes in.**

**Warning: Coarse language used very, very often. Also, a joke about Prim's way of getting around coarse language.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games, otherwise, I would have made sure that Peeta and Katniss had children sooner, and would've shipped Prim/Rory so hard.**

* * *

Prim jittered nervously at the breakfast table.

"For goodness sakes Prim, calm down. You didn't see me panic and shake the whole table on the day my timer ran out," I said. She just glared at me.

"If I remember correctly Katniss, you fell out of bed, tripped into the bathtub, and missed the last step of the stairs. You ma'am, are a bloody liar," she hissed at me. I scowled at her, knowing that she was right, as my father's laughter filled the room.

"You girls are growing up too fast!" He said, walking over. I felt a sharp tug on my braid as he yanked it playfully. By the time I whipped around to tell him off, he was walking away, his limp caused by his prosthetics almost unrecognizable.

I finished my breakfast and sat in the living room, waiting for Peeta. He said he'd wanted me to meet one of his friends today. I sighed.

So much had changed in the last three months since we became soul mates. We've grown together, and were almost inseparable now. Peeta had opened my eyes to his world; The bakery, his love of art, his family. In turn, I had showed him my world; my love of archery, my father's restaurant, and my little sister.

I had tried taking him into the woods with me to teach him how to hunt. Turns out, he was pretty good at throwing knives. I absolutely loved the woods. You would think that a technological area would be marred by trees, but it's far from the truth. The woods framing District 12 only added to the beauty of the bustling town.

The doorbell rang, snapping me out of my stupor. I jumped up, and ran to the door, thinking it was Peeta. I opened the door, only to find Rory Hawthorne staring at me from the other side. I sighed, slightly disappointed, and opened the door fully, allowing him in.

"Prim's in her room," I grumbled, walking away. He nodded and took off his shoes, before running up the stairs. I heard Prim greet him, and her room door closed. I sighed, sinking further into the warm cushions of the sofa. They suddenly felt incredibly soft. I curled up a little, before succumbing to sleep.

* * *

"Katniss? Come on, get up, we have to go,"

I heard Peeta's voice before I saw him. I opened my eyes, and staring back at me were those blue orbs. I felt my ears get red.

"How long was I out?" I asked him, getting up. He smiles.

"Eh, I think around an hour or so. Well, unless you were sleeping before I got here,"

"You were here for an hour and you didn't wake me up?" I asked him incredulously, he just smiled and held up a duffel bag. "What's that?" I asked him.

"I made Prim pack a bag of clothes for you. You know the surprise trip to meet a friend? Well this friend just happens to live in District Three. It's going to take us a day to ride there, and we're staying there for a week," he said casually, as if it wasn't a big deal. I stared at him as if he was insane. Why the fuck wouldn't he tell me this earlier?

I got cleaned up, and changed into my favorite jeans and an olive colored tank top. I braided my hair tightly for the trip, making sure it was all secured. As I plodded down the hallway to Prim's room, I froze in my steps. There was _moaning_ coming from inside the room. A dozen dirty thoughts raced through my head as I opened the room door.

There, sitting on the bed, was my little sister Prim. And she was _making out _with Rory. Her hands were in his hair and he had an arm around her. The other arm was precariously close to the chest. I felt my eyes bug out.

Oh dear sweet mother of all that is holy. Tell me I'm delusional. Tell me that I'm imagining this fucked up scene.

"Prim, what exactly are you doing?" I said, keeping my voice controlled. The two sprung apart at lightning speed, and Rory fell off the bed. Prim's face was bright, bright red.

"Goddamit Katniss, couldn't you knock?" Prim said angrily. Rory got up and sat down next to her, his face beet red.

"Prim, what did I tell you about cussing?" I asked her. She knew I didn't like her cussing, no matter how many obscene words came out of my own mouth. She seemed to think for a moment.

"Okay fine. Satan blessit Katniss, couldn't you knock?" she said, turning to me.

Why that clever little bitch, finding a loophole to the cussing rule. I sighed.

"Prim, why exactly were you kissing Rory? I thought you guys were just friends,"

Prim and Rory smiled at the same time, their grins lighting up their faces. In synchrony, they held up their wrists.

Oh hell.

Their wrist timers both showed one word

FOUND

* * *

I said goodbye to Prim, and warned Rory to keep his "junk" in his pants while I was away. He and Prim blushed a bright beet red, while Prim glared at me. I just chuckled and walked to the driveway.

Peeta brought the overnight bag that my sister packed, and loaded it into the hovercraft that his dad let him borrow. Hovercrafts were actually pretty cool. They were like motorcycles, but had a rounded dome so that it felt as if you were inside a car. They were extremely comfortable.

We took off after lunch, my parents waving goodbye from the porch. My mother had gotten back just in time to see me off. Peeta started up the hovercraft, and we set off.

I looped my hands around Peeta's waist, my legs on either side of the bike. The imagery passed by, and I couldn't help but feel at ease. If you told me months ago that I would be riding on a hovercraft with Peeta Mellark, my arms looped around his waist, while he took me away for a week, I would have laughed in your face and called the nearest mental hospital.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I know, Peeta's shaking my shoulder, trying to wake me up. I open my eyes to find that my head was lying on his back, while my arms were looped around him. He was reaching back with his hand, shaking my shoulder gently. I looked at his shirt, and saw a slight wet spot where my face was.

Oh shit, I really hope it dries up before he realizes I drooled on his back.

I get up, and stretch. We're parked in front of a hotel. I look at Peeta with a questioning look.

"We're in District Seven right now. It's late, so we're going to stay the night here, and set back off in the morning," he said. I shrugged my shoulders. We grabbed our overnight bags, and headed inside the hotel.

Once inside, I did a double take. Though from the outside, the building appeared to be made of concrete, metal, and glass, the inside looked like a log cabin. The walls were covered in logs that were cut in half, placed to replicate the look of a log cabin from the inside. The lobby was very cozy, and had a fire burning in the fireplace. We went up to the reception desk.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pinewoods Hotel. How can I help you?" the lady asked them, smiling warmly. Peeta spoke up.

"Yes, we were wondering if you had any double rooms vacant at the moment. We called a few other hotels, but they were completely booked for the night,"

"Okay, let me see what we have," the woman said, clicking away at her computer. After a few seconds, she looked up.

"Sorry, we don't have any double rooms, but we do have a single room vacant," she said, looking up at us. I felt heat creeping up my neck at the thought of sharing a bed with Peeta. He ran a hand through his hair, and sighed.

Oh hell.

"We'll take it. How much is it for the night?"

" Oh, it'll be twenty dollars, and it comes with a complimentary continental breakfast," she said, handing Peeta the keys. He handed her his credit card, and picked up the bags. She swiped the card and gave it back.

Peeta and I set off towards the room. My face was on fire at the thought of sharing a bed with him; the butterflies were making me feel sick. We found our room and entered it.

The room was relatively large. Right when we entered, we saw a closet next to the door, and a bathroom right next to the closet. A full length mirror was opposite the bathroom. In the middle of the room was an extremely large bed, large enough to fit five people on. There was a large Television set across from the bed. Two bedside tables decorated either side of the bed, one with a clock and the other with a lamp. The color scheme was warm, and was different from the lobby. It was nice.

I put down my stuff, and fell back onto the bed, sighing as I felt the soft mattress. Peeta fell down next to me, his hands behind his head. We lay there for a little while, relaxing. I looked over at Peeta, whose eyes were closing, and I remembered our predicament.

There was only one goddamn bed.

I sighed and got up. The bed was impossibly large, so maybe if we slept at opposite sides, it would be fine? I felt like this was the best way to go. Apparently, Peeta had other ideas.

"Hey, I'm gonna call room service and ask for a couple of extra blankets. I can sleep on the floor tonight if you're uncomfortable with sharing the bed," he said, going towards the phone. I felt guilty. The floors were hard, and there was no way Peeta was going to get a good night's sleep that way. I quickly realized what I had to do.

"I don't mind," I said, the words barely slipping out of my mouth. My face went warm. Peeta looked at me, as if he hadn't heard me right. I repeated my words.

"I said, I don't mind sharing the bed. It's huge anyway, so if we sleep at opposite ends, we should be fine," I bolted out, lightning fast. He smiled. I couldn't help but smile back at him, the butterflies returning.

I picked up my duffel bag, and went into the bathroom to change. Opening it, I found that my mother had packed two pairs of my favorite pajamas, as well as a week's worth of outfits. I quickly picked out a pair of shorts and a tank top and went back out.

I walked into the room, and my cheeks caught on fire. There, standing in the middle of the room, was Peeta Mellark, shirtless. He was setting up the alarm on the clock, his back turned to me. _Damn, _I thought to myself, _he's got muscles._

Peeta was well built, with broad shoulders and a muscular torso. He turned around, and caught me staring. My face heated up. God dammit.

Peeta smirked. "Like what you see?" he asked, his own face turning slightly red. I scowled at him, and he chuckled. I quickly walked over to the other side of the bed, and got in, turning away from him and staring out of the window. He sighed behind me, and the bed shifted as he lay down.

"Goodnight Katniss,"

"Goodnight Peeta,"

* * *

First thing I realized when I woke up was how comfortable I was. A blanket of warmth was wrapped around me. I snuggled forwards into what I thought was a pillow. I frowned when I realized the pillow wasn't soft at all.

It wasn't a pillow.

My eyes slowly opened, and I found myself wrapped up in Peeta's arms. One of his arms was underneath my head, while another was wrapped around my shoulder, drawing me near him. My hands were on his chest, and our legs were tangled together. Warm butterflies started up in my stomach, and it felt pleasant. Part of me was telling me to stay here in his embrace. I was so tired, I didn't really mind. It's been ages since I've been this content and comfortable. And he was so nice and warm.

Oh shit.

I realized what I was doing and tried to slowly scoot away from Peeta. He groaned in his sleep, and wrapped his arms around me tighter, bringing me flush against him. I looked up to see a smile grace his face, before he was completely out again. I groaned. What is with this guy? I know he's my "soul mate" and everything, but it's still awkward. I'd only really noticed this guy three months ago.

He groaned again and hugged me tighter. What the actual fuck. This kid was hugging me like a throw pillow, and smiling in his sleep like a madman. He was treating me like a teddy bear. A sudden mental image of me turning into a stuffed bear popped up into my head. I shuddered and forced it away.

I lay there for a while, not knowing what to do. My head was on his chest, his heartbeat soothing me. After a while, I found that I didn't really care. The closeness was comforting. All wrapped up in his embrace, I felt something I hadn't felt for a while.

I felt safe.

I examined his face. His eyelashes were long and pale, almost white in the light, and I couldn't help but wonder how he kept them from getting tangled. Some of his curls spilled onto his forehead messily, prompting me to reach up and push them back. He looked younger in his sleep, less stressed, more free. An innocent little boy. I place my hand on his cheek, drawing a line down to his jaw. A goofy smile graces his face, and his eyes flutter half open sleepily.

"Morning babe," he said, half asleep. I felt my heart race at the sound of his half-asleep voice. _Wow, sexy as hell_. He snuggled closer to me for a moment, then, suddenly, he froze.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry!" he said, jumping backwards. He jumped a little too far, and fell off the bed with a yelp.

I rushed over to the side of the bed, and looked down to where he was sprawled out on the floor, propped up by his elbows. His face and ears were bright red. He looked pathetic, and I couldn't help but break out laughing.

"Ha ha, very funny Miss Everdeen," he said, scowling at me. His scowl quivered, and he started laughing along with me.

* * *

"Finally!" I said, jumping off the bike and stretching my legs, wincing at the soreness in them. Peeta got off an his expression showed that he was no better off. He winced as he took a couple steps, hobbling like a cowboy with saddle sores. We'd been travelling on the hovercraft for around nine hours straight, and I was about damn ready to rip Peeta's head off if we didn't get there soon.

We quickly unlocked the seat and took out our bags from underneath it, hurrying over to the apartment building as fast as our stiff legs would take us. We walked into the apartment, and up a flight of stairs, until we came up to his friend's apartment, which was on the very top floor, the fourth floor.

Peeta knocked on the door. Immediately, a robotic voice came up. I flinched when it started speaking.

"State your name,"

"Peeta Mellark. Now let me in Beetee, you asshole," Peeta said, grinning like a madman. The door opened and a guy around our age stepped out. Peeta dropped his bags, and grabbed him into a hug.

"How you been man? I haven't seen you in ages!" the guy said, ruffling Peeta's hair. He turned to me. "Ah, and you must be Katniss, his soul mate. Peeta's told me a lot about you,"

I turned to see Peeta blushing bright red. I snickered. "Oh has he?" I said to the guy, while smirking at Peeta. He shot me a sheepish look.

The guy who came out of the apartment held out his hand to me, and I shook it. "The name's Beetee, it's nice to meet you," he said. Peeta's told me about him, but never mentioned his name. He said that his friend was a genius, extremely smart. Katniss hadn't seen him in action, but Beetee certainly looked smart. He had Dark black hair, which hung across his forehead, and pale skin. He was tall and lanky, with square glasses. His green eyes radiated knowledge. Peeta turned to him.

"Hey Beetee, quick question. What was that 'really important thing' you wanted to show me? You sounded kinda panicked, so I came right away," Peeta said, looking at Beetee with an inquisitive expression. The smile dropped off of Beetee's face, and his demeanor became tired, more worn down. A shard of fear settled itself in my stomach. Whatever this man wanted to show Peeta, it wasn't good.

"Thought it was inevitable. Okay, let me go call him. Come on in and sit down on the sofa,"

We walked in and lay our bags down next to the door. A delicious scent was coming out of the kitchen. Peeta and I followed the scent, and found a woman cooking something in a pot.

"WIRESS!" Peeta said in a booming voice. The woman flinched, almost knocking the pot over. She looked at us, and a huge grin popped up on her face.

"PEETA!" she squealed, looping her hands around his neck and hugging him. He chuckled and hugged her back. A shard of jealousy struck itself in my chest, but I quickly pushed it away. The woman let go of him.

"You haven't come to visit in forever! I was wondering if you forgot us," she said, her green eyes shining.

"Forget you? Never Wiress. Not when you've been like a little sister to me practically all my life," he said. He turned to me. "Allow me to introduce my soul mate, Katniss. Katniss, this is Beetee's soul mate, Wiress,"

"Oh hello Katniss, how do you do? I've wanted to meet you for a while now, you're all Peeta ever talks about on the phone. It's always 'Katniss this' and 'Katniss that' and 'Katniss has gorgeous eyes' and 'Katniss is amazing'. He sounds like a teenage girl when he talks about you," she said. Peeta's eyes widen and he turns even redder than before. I can feel my own face heat up, as the butterflies start up again. He really thinks I have pretty eyes? I looked at Wiress, and she smiled. She too had black hair like Beetee, but her's was pinned up in a messy bun. Her round glasses made her green eyes pop against her pale skin. She was beautiful, in a subtle, nerdy way.

We went back to the sofa, and sat down, as Wiress exiled us from the kitchen, saying that the food will be done in a little bit. Beetee came back a little bit later, followed by a man in a dark hoodie. The hoodie was covering his face and eyes.

"I called you cause I wanted you to meet someone, you specifically Peeta," he said nodding at Peeta. He turned to the man in the hoodie. "Go ahead dude, show them who you are,"

The man reached his hands up to his hoodie, and flipped it off. I gasped. What the actual fuck.

Standing in front of me was…Peeta?

I looked over at the Peeta sitting next to me, and then looked at the man who looked like Peeta. He had a faint scar over his left eye, but the eyelid and eye itself was unaffected. I notice a group of tattoo's on the side of his neck, in the shape of what seemed to be multiple gears. He was about an inch taller than Peeta, and towered over me. His hair was shorter than Peeta's but still the same shade of blonde, and still the same curly look. He had incredibly long eyelashes. And his eyes….they looked just like Peeta's. I looked over at Peeta, and saw him looking at the man in shock.

The man chuckled gently at our amused expressions, and extended a hand towards us. I noticed that there were several more gear tattoos on his wrist. He smiled, and started speaking.

"Hi, my name is Peeta Mellark, co-leader of the Gears, Faction 12"

* * *

**aaaahhh. There's the bombshell. Next chapter is when the sci-fi dimesional shennanagins begin. Alternate dimensions, time travel, and a war torn city. you guys are in for one hell of a ride.**

**quick shout out to anonymous reviewer Jaqulyn Susane: there is no possible way you know where this story is going. It may seem like its going in one direction, but i'm putting a "tailspin" on it. **

**"Oh Peeta, I dont think we're in Panem anymore,"**

**Also, I've gotten two PM's about whether or not I can write smut into this story. As you've all probably noticed, its rated T. Sorry folks, but its about to stay that way. I tried writing smut in my other story, but I cant without gagging. All of my stories are rated T. The most blatant one I've ever typed is "And then they fucked,". I usually imply sexual situations, such as by saying "And then he turned her night into day," and naughty shit like that.**

**Call me a prude and what not, but I'm only fourteen, and still a virgin (thankfully). That stuff grosses me out. I can't even stand to read it. Most of you are older than me, like in your late teens, or early twenties and thirties with kids. Just remember I'm just a fourteen year old ninth grade girl writing this story. I'm young, and still quite the prude.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I worked extra hard on it. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can.**

**REVIEW PLEASE! They help motivate me and give me feedback.**

**Thanks for all the follows, faves, and reviews. I didn't expect such a positive reaction to this story.**

**Until the next chapter..**

**~Reaper**


	4. Chapter 4: Explainations

**A/N: Okay! I've been working on this chapter. After this, I will be updating every week, not every three days. Sorry folks, but school is more important than fanfiction.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games**

**Written while listening to**

**"Pieces" by Red**

**"Ever After" by Marianas Trench**

**"She's a lady" by Forever the Sickest Kids**

**"Bright Eyes" by Mmmkay**

**"Postmortem Kiss" (a homestuck piece, my other fandom) by Homestuck**

**"Eros and Apollo" by the Studio Killers**

* * *

_The man chuckled gently at our amused expressions, and extended a hand towards us. I noticed that there were several more gear tattoos on his wrist. He smiled, and started speaking._

"_Hi, my name is Peeta Mellark, co-leader of the Gears, Faction 12"_

* * *

I stared at the man, not knowing what to comprehend. Why the hell were there two Peeta's?

Oh god. I was going delusional. Yeah, that must be it. I was going delusional and bat-shit crazy. I'm losing it. Any moment now, I'm going to wake up in bed, and this will all be a dream. I pinched my arm, hard, trying to wake myself up. I winced as the pain shot up my arm. Oh god, this was real.

We continued staring at him in shock. Peeta was the first to break the silence.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Peeta said, his tone shocking me. It was angry. "Look dude, if you're trying to steal my identity, you're gonna have to work a lot harder at covering up that scar and those tattoos. Who the hell do you think you are?"

Beetee steps forward and puts a hand on Peeta's arm. The man with the tattoos looks at me, his expression sad, dejected.

"Peeta, will you come with me into the other room really quick? We need to talk about something," Beetee said, pulling him away. He nodded at the tattooed man. "Tell her," he said. The man looked like he was about to say something, but held back and nodded, hanging his head. He walked over and sat in the place Peeta was a few moments ago. I tensed, wary of him and his presence. Who the heck was this guy?

"I bet you're wondering who I really am," he said, looking at me straight in the eyes. I looked back into his blue eyes, and nodded.

"No shit Sherlock,"

He chuckled as I said this. I gave him a curious expression, and he just laughed.

"Kat does that too. She always had this snarky sarcastic way of talking," he said, his smile melting off his face slightly.

"Who's Kat?" I asked him. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Okay Katniss, I'm going to tell you my story. I need you to sit down and not interrupt me, because I know that you're going to," he said, looking at me. I nodded apprehensively. Why not?

"Okay, here goes. I'm not from this dimension. I came through a weird portal that Beetee in my dimension built. I'm from Clockwork City, which is the equivalent of Panem in my dimension," he said, sneaking a look at me. What the fuck? Oh my god, this guy was bat-shit crazy. He's a mental hospital escapee. Someone needs to lock him up in a rubber room with a straitjacket. He saw the look on my face, and chuckled.

"That's what I thought too when Beetee told me this. I thought he was crazy. But after a while, he showed me how it worked, and he's currently working on trying to get me back. I have to get back to Kat. She'll be deathly worried by now," he said. I looked at him, trying to tell if he was lying. His eyes showed nothing but sincerity.

"So, you're basically Peeta from another dimension?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Yeah, my name is Peeta Mellark. I'm the equivalent of your….soul mate over there, although, I may be a year older than him. I'm nineteen right now. Oh, and you can call me Peet, practically everyone calls me that," he said. I shook my head, trying to absorb all he told me. I suddenly realized something.

"Wait, so if you're Peeta, then by any chance is this 'Kat' you keep mentioning, an other-dimensional me?" I asked, gesturing to myself. A sudden sad look enters his eyes, and his demeanor collapses. He nods. I catch sight of the tattoos on the side of his neck. Before I can stop myself, I blurt out the question.

"What's with the tattoos?" I blurt out, covering my mouth instantly and turning red. He seems shocked at my outburst, and chuckles slightly. He unzips his hoodie and shrugs it off.

First thing I notice is the intricate gear design that creeps up his arms. It's so intricate, making it look almost as if his arm was made of gears covered by skin. Near his wrist, there is small black lettering that reads "Gears, faction twelve"

"In our world, teenagers and adults are never together. We live in a place called the Capitol until we're twelve. After that, we are sent off to Clockwork City until we're twenty-seven. By the time we come out of Clockwork City, we are expected to be married, and to have the skills needed to survive on our own. We are shipped back to the capitol when we turn twenty-seven," he pauses for a little bit, clearing his throat, and continues.

"A few years ago, when Katniss and I first came to the Faction when we were twelve, a feud broke out between two men. One of the men had killed the other's family, and threatened to kill other families in the area if we didn't give him leadership of Clockwork City. This feud broke out into a full out war that split the city in half. There is the half that I fight for, the ones who fought for the man whose family was murdered by the other man; we call ourselves the "Gears". The other half, who fights on the murderer's side, they're called the "Cogs". This war has been going on for a long time. The gear designs up my arms are an emblem of our factions. Kat has them too." He said, a little sadly. I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at me and smiled, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He starts playing with a little locket on his neck. The pendant looks like a circle, on one side is a bird with an arrow in its mouth, and on the other side is a series of gears. He sees me watching it, and takes it off his neck.

"Watch this," he says, running his finger down the side of it. A series of whirring noises started, and the locket opened up. Inside was a picture of two people. One of them was Peet. He was smiling, and hand his hand around the shoulders of a girl. Her hair was cut short, and she had a scar running down her collarbone. Her gray eyes looked back at Katniss, full of mirth, but with a hint of sadness. On the other side, there was a picture of Peeta and the girl kissing. The gear designs on her neck were visible.

Looking at the picture again, I realized that this short haired girl was me from the other dimension. I scrutinized her hair, her eyes, her face, her smile. She looked like an older me. My eyes lingered for a bit on the scar on her collarbone.

"How did she get that?" I asked, pointing to the scar.

"Same way I got this," Peeta replied, gesturing to the scar across his eye, "And this," he said, lifting up his right pant leg. Underneath, his foot was encased in metal. It took me a moment to realize that, it wasn't really his foot encased in metal. His foot _was _metal. I felt sick, and my stomach churned. His foot, all the way up to his knee, was a metal contraption. It had been blown off somehow. I covered my mouth, and he dropped his pant leg.

I heard a shuffling, and saw my Peeta come back into the room. I ran up to him, and threw my arms around his neck. He seemed surprised by my act, but I didn't care. After hearing how the other Peeta lost his leg, and how the other me was brutally hurt, it felt good to have my Peeta close. Butterflies erupted in my stomach as he held me close, and I felt warmth surge down to my fingertips. I snuggled my head into the crook of his neck, and whispered.

"He told me everything,"

Peeta subtly nodded. "Beetee told me the story," he said. We looked over to where Beetee was talking to Wiress, and looked at Peet, who was in a daze, looking at the pictures in the locket. "We have to help him get back to Kat," I said to him. He nodded. Taking in a breath, he turned to the other Peeta.

"We'll help you get back to her," he said. This seemed to snap Peet out of his stupor. He looked at us, confusion dotting his face.

"Wait, what did you just say? I'm sorry, I zoned out," Peet said, shaking his head. Peeta repeated his words.

"We want to help you get back to your girlfriend,"

Peet seemed confused for a bit. He looked back at us.

"What girlfriend?" he asked. I furrowed by brow. What the fuck man, whatever happened to Kat?

"I'm talking about Kat," Peeta said, narrowing his eyes slightly. Peet looked confused for a moment more, and then, a smile broke out on his face, and he broke out laughing. We looked at him in confusion.

"You think she's my girlfriend?" he asks, wiping his eyes. I narrowed my eyes.

"Well yeah, the way you talk about her wouldn't make me think otherwise," I said, crossing my arms. He looked up at me, his eyes full of mirth.

"Katniss, Kat is my wife,"

Well shit…..that was unexpected.

* * *

**Sorry about that chapter being so short. It was either this and updating tonight, or making an ass-numbingly long chapter and posting it next week.**

**I chose today.**

**Yes, Kat is his wife. Yes, for once I didn't use a cliffy.**

**Also, after this, I'm updating once a week, instead of every three days. Sorry folks, but school is higher on my priorities list than this, and I go to an IB school, which means I get twice as much work and learn twice as much. I'm surprised I haven't keeled over from exhaustion.**

**Also**

**WOW! So many reviews and favorites! I didn't think this story would get such a positive response!**

**I am also glad to hear that there are others out in the fandom who hate smut stories. Glad to know I'm not the only one.**

**REVIEW! It helps keep my morale up, and convinces me to update faster!**

**~Reaper**


	5. Chapter 5: Bring It On Buddy

**A/N: Sorry about the wait guys! I had semester finals all last week, and fanfiction unfortunatly had slipped to the bottom of my priorities list.**

**I aced one of my finals though.**

**Anyway, this chapter does get a bit more mature. Don't worry, it doesn't have smut or anything, cause honestly, I can't write that without gagging, but it does have some stuff that is rated T. **

**On the other hand, the sexual stuff in this chapter are funny, and you'll probably laugh at Katniss's antics.**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. I am but a delusional 14 year old, while the true owner of the hunger games is an adult mastermind.**

* * *

"_Well yeah, the way you talk about her wouldn't make me think otherwise," I said, crossing my arms. He looked up at me, his eyes full of mirth._

"_Katniss, Kat is my wife,"_

_Well shit…..that was unexpected._

I stared at him as he dropped a second bombshell within the span of one day.

"She's your WHAT?!" I screeched out. My hands automatically went to my mouth. Had that horrible noise just come out of MY mouth?

"She's my wife," he said cooly, looking at Peeta and I. Peeta looked shocked for a moment, but then shrugged it off. I on the other hand, was mortified. How were they married so goddamn young? This man was only nineteen, barely older than Peeta and I.

As if sensing my thoughts, Peet began to talk.

"In Clockwork City, most everyone is supposed to marry by age sixteen. Katniss and I got married right before my sixteenth birthday. We were in love, and our marriage was more successful than most. Kat even got pregnant by the time her seventeenth birthday rolled by," he stopped, his head slumping down a bit. His demeanor collapsed, and he remained slightly hunched over, his eyes emitting a look of pain.

"The explosion that took my leg, and scarred Katniss's collarbone, also took our son. Katniss gave birth to him two weeks after that, and he lived for an hour, before dying from complications. He had a ruptured lung and spleen, and several broken ribs. He was adorable too, with blonde hair like mine and grey eyes like Katniss," he said, quivering ever so slightly. Tears were slipping out of his eyes, as tiny tremors shook his body. I felt a sinking at the pit of my heart. This man had lost so much, and yet he was remaining strong until he could take it no more.

Peeta sat down next to Peet, and put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it slightly. Peet sat there, tears rolling down his cheeks and down his neck, into his shirt letting his sorrows out, and becoming hollow.

* * *

A few hours later, we were sitting on the sofa. Peet was leaning against one of the armrests. Beetee was sitting on the loveseat, with Wiress on his lap. I was leaning against Peeta, his arm around me, resting my head on his shoulder.

"I'm hungry. How much longer do we have to wait man?" Peeta asked, turning to Beetee. Beetee chuckled tiredly.

"Don't worry, they'll be here soon. Let's wait for them before eating,"

I sat back and groaned. Apparently, Beetee and Wiress had roommates, a soul mate couple. We were waiting for them to return. My stomach rumbled and I moaned slightly. Peeta looked down at me and smiled.

Suddenly, we heard a knock at the door. Beetee jumped up almost immediately, Wiress slipping off his lap as he got up. He ran to the door and flung it open.

"What the hell took you so long!?" he yelled at the man who was standing there. The other man chuckled, running a hand through his bronze colored hair. He was handsome, almost Adonis-like, with a well-toned body, and a perfect tan. His teeth were white, and perfectly straight, and his teal-green eyes and bronze hair highlighted his face.

"Sorry Beet, Annie wanted to spend some more time with her parents. They insisted that we stay for dinner, but we declined and snuck away before they could protest further,"

"Still, you should have called me so that I would have known. We have guests over Finn, and they're hungry. You've kept them waiting," Beetee said, his face softening slightly. He stepped aside, and the man whom he called Finn stepped inside. Behind him was a petite woman.

The bronze haired man looked over at the sofa, as if noticing us for the first time. He turned to Beetee with a confused expression. Beetee rolled his eyes, and walked over.

"Remember how I said a couple of friends of mine were coming over to help with this dimension-swap situation? Well, here they are. This is Peeta Mellark, a good friend of mine, and his soul mate, Katniss Everdeen,"

The man looked at us, and held out his hand.

"The name's Finnick Odair, but everyone around here calls me Finn," he said, shaking Peeta's hand. Peeta smiled at him.

"Peeta Mellark, nice to meet you," Peeta said. Something flashed in Finnick's eyes, and he took a quick glance at Peet, who had his black hoodie on with the hood up. He then shook his head and looked back at us. He held his hand out to me.

"Katniss Everdeen," I said. He drooped his eyelids, and a seductive smile appeared on his face.

"Ah, Katniss. That's quite a lovely name you have there. Almost as lovely as you are," he said, kissing my hand. An uncomfortable heat flushed over my ears, and I felt Peeta's grip on my waist tighten. I looked up at him, to see a forced smile on his face. His jaw was locked, and his eyes were dark.

Annie came up to us and pulled Finnick away, rolling her eyes. She held out her hand.

"Hello, its nice to meet you. My names Annie Cresta, and don't mind Finn, he always acts like a doofus. And yes, he flirts with every single woman he meets," she said, smiling widely. I shook her hand, feeling more at ease. Peeta did too.

"But you know my heart only belongs to you darling!" Finn called out as he walked to their bedroom. Annie rolled her eyes, smiling.

"I know,"

* * *

We were sitting at the dinner table, digging into the food Wiress had laid out. I took a bite of the lamb stew, moaning in pleasure as the taste hit my tongue. Peeta chuckled.

"Oh my god Wiress, this is amazing!" I said, taking another bite of the tender meat and vegetables. The juicy taste of the meat exploded on my tongue, making me groan in pleasure.

The others started eating their food too, complementing Wiress every few minutes. She was truly a good cook, and everyone went back for seconds.

"Oh god Beetee, you are one lucky bastard," Peeta said, stretching back lazily after we finished eating. "You get to eat delicious food every day, and your soul mate makes it for you. The only good food I ever eat is the stuff I cook myself, because apparently, my soul mate would sooner set the kitchen on fire than cook a good meal,"

I glared at him, suppressing a chuckle. He was right of course. The one time I tried to help him make bread, I set three loaves on fire, and he had to pull out the fire extinguisher to put them out. After that I was given only simple jobs at the bakery.

After dinner, Beetee showed us to our rooms. We would be taking the spare bedroom, while Peet took the pull-out couch. I felt guilty about making Peet take the pull out couch, until he insisted he was fine. Peeta and I sighed, and started opening our suitcases.

"So, we have to share a room tonight too huh?" he said, grabbing his pajamas. I looked at him.

"If you don't want to, that's fine you know. I can…um…sleep on the floor or something," I said. I felt a little saddened by the fact that he may not want to sleep next to me. His chuckling surprised me into looking up.

"Nah, Katniss, its fine. I actually might…like sleeping with you," he said, blushing. I felt my ears turn red, and I smiled, grabbing my pajamas. He was walking to the bathroom, when a sly thought entered my head. Quick as a wink, I walked over to him.

"Peeta," I said in a seductive voice, placing my hands on his shoulders. He froze, his eyes widening. I snickered silently. I slowly snaked my way around him, until I was in front of him. My arms were around his neck, and my face was inches from his. He gulped, his eyes turning a shade darker. His face was turning a deep pink, and it took all my self-control not to laugh at him. I put on a seductive smile.

"Peeta, do you know what I'm going to do now?" I said, drooping my eyes seductively, and running a finger down the bridge of his nose. He gulped again.

"W-what?" he squeaked hoarsely. I smiled, and quick as a flash, ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I heard him let out a surprised noise. He started banging on the door.

"I'm going to hog the bathroom!" I cackled from inside.

"Katniss! No fair, that wasn't nice!" he said. I heard him huff angrily, and back away from the door. I started laughing as I stripped off my clothes, and slipped into my pajamas, which consisted of a pair of boy shorts and a tank top. I brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and went outside.

My face immediately went red. Peeta was sitting on the bed, sketching in his sketch book. He was shirtless, and wearing low slung shorts, which showed off his muscular toned body perfectly. He smirked at me.

"Payback time," he said, putting his sketchbook away and stretching his arms behind his head. Butterflies fluttered inside my stomach crazily, as I gulped. I averted my eyes, and shoved my day clothes into the laundry bag I brought along. I scampered to the other side of the bed opposite to Peeta, and slipped in, turning away from him and attempting to hide my red face.

I heard the bed shift behind me as Peeta lay down. I tried not to think of how his biceps stretched when he put his arms behind his head, of his toned torso, of his…..

Oh hell.

I quickly burrowed myself further underneath the blankets, trying to stop the blush that was forming on my cheeks. I heard Peeta's breathing slightly even, and I let out a sigh. Suddenly, an arm snaked its way around my waist, and a surprised squeak escaped my lips.

"Katniss," Peeta said, his voice deep and husky. I sighed involuntarily, and he chuckled, his warm breath tickling my ear. Oh dear god.

"Katniss, your skin is so soft," he said, kissing my neck softly. I moaned slightly, and he moved on to kiss my cheek, smirking slightly.

Oh so that's how he wants to play it huh? Fine then Peeta. This is war.

I turned around, putting on the most seductive face I could. I trailed a finger down his chest, and his eyes widened slightly. I reached up, and placed a small kiss on his jaw, my teeth grazing the skin there. His eyes rolled up slightly, and his smirk melted off his face. I started playing with his curly hair.

"Peeta, you're so…..handsome," I said, scooting closer so that we were flush against each other. I enjoyed his reaction, which was a mixture between shock and pleasure. His ears were starting to turn red. I smirked.

I won.

Just as I was about to smirk and turn away, I felt his arm move under my shirt, onto my waist. I gasped in shock, and he smirked. He started rubbing light circles on my hips, eliciting involuntary moans from me.

"Two can play this game Katniss," he said, bringing his face close.

Oh yeah buddy. Then bring it on.

I moved my head towards his earlobe, and started sucking on it softly. He froze for a second, then continued rubbing circle onto my hip, though with shaky hands. His breath quivered slightly, and he groaned. A determined look crossed his face. His hand snaked down my leg, trailing down my thigh. I sighed.

I started kissing his neck, making him moan some more. In retaliation, he snuck his hand under my shirt, and brought it up to the sides of my chest. I felt my face burn, and I knew I had to end this, fast.

So I did something insane, something downright bat-shit crazy.

I kissed him.

I leaned forward fast, and I planted my lips on his. He let out a surprised noise, his eyes widening. They were dark, lustful. His eyes closed, and he started kissing me back, his tongue skirting around my lips. I opened them, deepening the kiss. I totally forgot about the miniature sexual war we had going on a few moments ago, the only thing on my mind now was how good his lips felt against mine. I wound my fingers into his hair, moaning slightly. He undid my braid, never taking his lips off my mouth. I bit his bottom lip gently, causing him to moan. We continued to moan and make out for god knows how long. Pleasurable sensations ran up and down my body, as we lay there, flush against eachother.

And then, Beetee had to ruin it all.

A knock came from the door, which we chose to ignore.

"You guys better not be doing what I think you're doing! I've been hearing moans come from this room for the last half an hour," Beetee said from the other side. I ignored him, continuing to kiss Peeta, whose eyes were closed. I had my hands running through his hair, while he had his hands on either side of my face.

"Okay, that's it! I don't care if you guys are naked, I'm coming in!" Beetee said, and a moment later, our door slammed open. Peeta and I snapped apart. I looked up at Beetee, slightly dazed. My mind was hazy from what just happened. Peeta had a dopey smile on his face, and was looking up at Beetee, as if he just realized he was there. His eyes widened and his face turned a bright shade of red.

"Um….hey man," he said hoarsely. Beetee just stood there, glaring at him.

"Okay you two, first of all, you guys are not going to have sex when you're at my house. That became a rule soon after Finnick and Annie moved in, and kept Wiress and I awake the first month they were here," Beetee said, still glaring at Peeta. I turned bright red. He didn't seriously think we just had…..

Holy shit.

"Beetee, we didn't…you know…..do it," Peeta said, his face still red.

"Oh, is that so? Then why could I hear sex noises all the way down the hall. Wiress had to cover her head with a pillow to block out your moans, and when I walked by the couch, Peet had his fingers in his ears and a grimace on his face."

Peeta and I stared at him, flustered. After a few seconds, Beetee sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Go to sleep you guys, are remember the rule," he said one last time, before shutting the door behind him. Peeta and I looked at eachother, wondering what had just happened. He shrugged slightly, and lay down on the bed, putting his arm out. Place my head on his arm, and snuggled into his chest. I sighed, relaxing in his warmth. My eyes started to droop.

"By the way Katniss, you're a great kisser," he said, planting a kiss on my forehead. I smiled slightly, and let darkness overtake me.

* * *

**Well, that was fun, wasn't it. Ill try to update sooner for the next chapter.**

**This chapter was going to be longer, but it was mostly stress relief for me to write such a lighthearted fluffy chapter. The next one will focus more on the actual plot.**

**REVIEW please. It's good encouragement for me to pick my lazy ass up and go finish typing another chapter.**

**~Reaper**


	6. Chapter 6: Spark

**A/N: And here's the next chapter of Clockwork! Sorry I couldn't get it up sooner, I had major tests all of last week, and I had very little time to actually enjoy myself.**

**Anyway, I have a brief explaination of why I portrayed Beetee this way at the bottom of this chapter.**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or any of these amazing characters.**

* * *

I woke up feeling better than I had in a long time.

The first thing that I was aware of was how comfortable it was, as if a cocoon of warmth was surrounding me. I snuggled into whatever was in front of me, basking in warmth.

I opened my eyes slowly, only to be met by a well-muscled neck. I lay there sleepily for a moment, before remembering whose neck it was. My eyes widened. I tried to scramble away, but I was caught in the blanket. As I was attempting my escape, a thought struck me. Wasn't I allowed to do this? He was my soul mate after all. This was perfectly normal….right?

Peeta began to mumble in his sleep, hugging me closer, his legs tangling with mine further. The blankets were kicked off due to the late summer heat, and we were wrapped around eachother. I couldn't help but notice how I seemed to fit perfectly into the curve formed by his body.

My eyes travelled upwards, towards his face. His blonde hair flopped down to his eyebrows, and his expression was relaxed, peaceful. His long blonde eyelashes tickled his cheeks, almost like butterly wings. I felt my heart flutter as I reached up to brush his golden-blonde hair out of the way. While doing so, I chose to ignore how close we were, too drowsy and out of it to really care. I snuggled into his neck again, smiling slightly as I draped my arm across his chest. I slowly drifted off when I heard him speak.

"Mornin' beautiful," he whispered, his voice husky from drowsiness. I smiled.

"Hey there," I said, opening my eyes. They were met by his lidded blue ones, still a bit glazed over. He smiled dopily.

"You put on quite the show last night sweetheart," he said, and my eyes widened. The events of last night's sexual war replayed themselves in my head. I looked closer at him, and saw that his lips were slightly swollen, and he had a small hickey on his neck.

Holy fucking shit. Did I give him that?

I quickly jumped out of his grasp, flying over to the other side of the bed, a mess of flailing limbs. He snapped up on his side, his eyes now fully open.

"Katniss….what?" he said, confused. I brought my knees up and wrapped my arms around them. Oh my god, I kissed him. I can't fucking believe I kissed him! What if he thinks I'm a freak now? What if he didn't like it?

I sat there, staring at him with a horrified look.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry about that Peeta. I didn't mean to kiss you last night!" I said, bringing my knees up to my face, curling in further around myself. I heard him shift. When I looked at him, he was leaning on both his elbows, looking up.

"You really think I didn't want that?" he asked me, not meeting my eyes. I looked at him, wondering what he was saying. He tilted his head towards me.

"Katniss, come here," he said, sitting up and stretching his legs out in front of him. He patted his lap, and I felt my face flush. He wanted me to sit…..in his lap?

Oh god, Bread Boy, what's going on in that head of yours?

I went over to him, and sat in his lap, my legs straddling him. He brought a hand up, brushing away a strand of hair from my face. He lifted my wrist, the one with the timer on it.

"You see this?" he said, lifting up his timer and putting it next to mine. The word FOUND flashed back on both of our wrists. "This is perfect proof that we belong together. I love you Katniss, I have ever since I met you. You're just so different, so unique, so, perfectly you. And I do not regret that kiss no matter what,"

I looked at him. His blue eyes were sincere, and he was smiling down at me. I placed my head on his chest, right above his heart. The sound was soothing, and within seconds, my heart matched its beat. It was then that I knew.

I was in love with Peeta Mellark.

I had fallen for him. Hard.

"I-I think I might love you too," I said, looking up at him. His grin looked like it could split his face. It dropped a little when he looked closely at my face.

"Wow, I really did a number on you, didn't I?" he said, placing a hand at the side of my neck. He was looking at my swollen lips. "Didn't know that I gave you a mark," he said, smirking.

I glared at him playfully, and rested my head back onto his bare chest, content. He started stroking my hair.

"You know Katniss, there is a way I could make you feel better,"

I looked up to see him smirking, his cheeks red.

"I could kiss you,"

I looked at his blue eyes, which were now slightly dark. My body subconsciously tilted forward, until our noses were touching. My heart was beating wildly, and I felt my face flush.

Then, all of a sudden, he swooped forward, and met his lips with mine, his hands on either side of my face. A familiar fire ignited in the bottom of my stomach, and I deepened the kiss. I moaned as he bit my lip softly, and slipped my tongue into his mouth. This kiss was pleasant, it was perfect.

And of course, Beetee the master cockblocker had to ruin it all.

He barged in through the door.

"Hey guys, I made you pancak-oh," he said, his words dying slowly. Peeta and I broke apart to see him standing at the doorway, an apron on and flour smeared over the side of his face. He was wearing checkered sweatpants, and an Avengers T-Shirt. His face was flushed, and his lips were slightly swollen. His hair was sticking up, and his glasses were off kilter, showing his glazed over green eyes. There was a smudge of pancake batter on the edge of his mouth.

"What did I tell you guys about the rules?" Beetee asked sternly, straightening his glasses. Peeta glared at him.

"Beetee, can you please stop being an asshole cockblocker all the time? We were just kissing, nothing more, nothing less," Peeta said, huffing slightly. My ears went warm. Nothing more, nothing less huh? Are you sure about that Peeta? Are you SURE?

"Besides," Peeta said smirking, "It seems as if Wiress did a number on you this morning,"

Beetee glared at him. "We were mixing up pancake batter when she smeared a bunch of it on the side of my face. I grabbed her around the waist and started ticking her, and then she kissed me. That's it."

"But still, Beetee, you look like you…..did it," Peeta said, a devilish grin on his face.

"Yeah? Says the guy with love-bites all over his neck," Beetee retorted, and that seemed to shut Peeta up. Beetee rolled his eyes and backed out of the room.

"If you guys want warm pancakes, I suggest you wake up soon. Peet is already up, Annie is taking a shower, and Finnick is snoring like he's sleeping through the apocolypse. You guys can stay in here as long as you want, but remember my rule,"

"Get the fuck out man," Peeta said playfully, throwing a pillow at Beetee. Beetee chuckled softly and left the room.

"Now where were we?" he whispered seductively, bringing his lips back to mine.

* * *

I walked out of the bedroom in my pajamas, heading to the table. It was still mid-morning, around nine o'clock. I trudged over to the table, and flopped down onto the seat wincing slightly as my rear end protested. Peet looked at me from behind his book, giving me an amused expression. He sipped his coffee slowly, enjoying every last drop. I smiled back at him, causing a sad look to enter his eyes. His smile was more forced now, as he ducked behind his book.

I poured myself a pitcher of orange juice, drinking it slowly while waiting for the pancakes. I was so damn hungry, and so fucking tired. What was taking the food so long?

I felt a tap on my shoulder, which triggered a familiar shock down my spine. Ignoring it, I turned back to see Peeta looking down at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He held a finger to his lips, and hauled me up. I followed him and ducked outside the entrance to the kitchen.

Small moans were coming from the back of the kitchen. I peeked my head in at the same time as Peeta, and stifled a chuckle.

There, standing at the back of the kitchen, were Beetee and Wiress. They were making out, moaning every once in a while. There was flour all over, on their faces, on their clothes, in their hair. Beetee's glasses were off kilter, and so were Wiress's. Her hands were playing with the hair on the nape of his neck, while his hands were…dear lord…..under her shirt in the front. I felt my ears heat up, as I looked at Peeta, who was trying hard not to crack up. He quickly ducked over to my side of the door.

"Remember the rule?" he whispered into my ear, his warm breath tickling my neck. I shivered slightly, and nodded, my smile widening slightly. I understood what he was saying.

Peeta and I slowly walked in, and leaned against the counter. The couple was oblivious to us, busy in their own deeds.

"Hey Beetee, I remember you saying something about a rule yesterday," Peeta says casually, loud enough so that they can hear. I see him freeze.

The two look at us, and nearly jump out of their skins, shocked. Wiress flushes a dark red and Beetee looks as if he's about to stab the two of us with the closest thing he can find. I chuckle.

Ahhh, revenge is sweet.

* * *

Three days.

That's how long it would take Beetee to finish configuring the portal back to Clockwork City. Every day, Peet becomes more anxious, his nervous energy rubbing off on us. Don't ask me why, but I have a very bad feeling about this. I've only seen the machine once, a full length mirror with wires hooked up all over. It looked sinister as hell.

All of us have developed an anxious habit while waiting for Beetee to finish calibrating the creepy device. He's told us that there were many things that could go wrong, horrifying things. The main concern was the possibility of the portal exploding. If it's a small explosion, then it would hurt, or maybe even kill the people in the room. If it's a large explosion, it could wipe out District Three.

And of course, there is the possibility of a catastrophic explosion. I mean 'wipe Panem off the map like a motherfucking whiteboard eraser' type explosion.

In other words, if he messed this up, we were all screwed.

I braided and unbraided my hair constantly, trying to shake off the nerves. Peet constantly zones out, his eyes becoming glossy. Peeta has taken to the habit of twiddling his thumbs, or bouncing his knee. Annie loops seashells and glass beads into necklaces, and then breaks the necklaces so she can start over again. Finnick ties knots over and over on a frayed piece of rope, his eyes sharp in concentration.

We were quiet those three days. The tension was wearing on everyone. Beetee was not a man to be taken lightly, and if he said that there were catastrophic ways this could screw up, then god help us.

The days may have been a bit more subdued, but the nights were catastrophic.

It all started on the first night.

I crawled into bed with Peeta, snuggling into his side. Everyone else had already gone to bed earlier, leaving us the last two awake. Peeta placed his lips to my forehead quickly, then settled down on his pillow, his breathing becoming even within ten minutes. I felt my eyes droop, the darkness creeping in.

That's when the screaming began. The voice of the person was full of pain and panic. It wasn't a high pitched girly scream either. No, this scream was entirely masculine, the deep voice filled with desperation.

Peeta snapped up beside me and tossed off the covers, running to the door. I quickly followed him.

There, in the living room, Beetee was shaking Peet's shoulders, trying to wake him up. Peet was yelling; sweat beading on his brow, tears running down his cheeks. He seemed like he was caught in a nightmare, a prisoner to his own mind.

And worst of all, he was yelling MY name.

"Katniss!" he screamed, his voice squeaking a bit. "NO, RUN, I'LL BE FINE! SAVE THE BABY!"

Finnick and Annie stumbled out of their rooms, followed by a very concerned looking Wiress holding a bottle of water. They looked slightly panicked and dazed.

"Wha-t The fuck is appening'?" Finnick asked me, his voice groggy from sleep. I didn't answer him, because honestly, I had no idea myself.

Beetee turned to us with pleading eyes. "Katniss, could you try to wake him up?" he asked me. I nodded, and walked over to Peet.

I placed my hands on his shoulders, shaking them lightly. I noticed his muscles were pulled taut, and his body was quivering.

"Peeta," I said quietly, using his full name. He continued to yell. "Peeta," I said, this time a bit more forcefully. He must have heard me, because next thing I know, those blue eyes are looking straight at me, boring holes into my soul.

"Katniss," he breathed, pulling me into a spine crushing hug. He quivered as he sobbed onto my back. "I thought I lost you,"

I sat there stiffly, while he hugged me. What the fuck was I supposed to do now? I looked at Peeta, who was standing beside me.

"Sing Katniss," he said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I nodded my head, and began to sing and old song that my father once taught me.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

_Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes_

_And when you awake, the sun will rise._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_

_A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray, Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_

_And when again it's morning, they'll wash away._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you._

As the last note faded away, I looked down to see that Peet was asleep, a smile on his face. The others were looking at me in awe.

"That was…amazing," Finnick whispered in awe.

* * *

"Peet, I'm done with the portal. We can probably get you home by this afternoon," Beetee nonchalantly says at lunch on the third day. Nobody commented on his words, but Peet's face broke into an ecstatic smile. He continued eating, murmuring things to himself.

We said our goodbyes to Peet, and Peeta and I accompanied him to the portal in Beetee's lab. Beetee walked over to the wall, flicking a few small switches and then pulling a large lever. The glass mirror began to ripple, and we stepped back as it transformed into a picture. A city lay in the distance, a large clock tower in the center.

"Home," Peet whispered. He tentatively put a hand towards the mirror, and let out a slight gasp as it went straight through. He started laughing, and threw his whole body through the portal.

Right as the last part of him got through, the portal sparked. Tendril's of electricity shot out from the top. I heard a gasp, and saw Peeta fall down next to me as a tendril hit him in the stomach.

"PEETA!"

I screamed, and dropped to my knees, my heart sinking. Beetee was in the corner, desperately trying to turn the portal off. I shook Peeta's shoulders, but got no response as he lay there limp. I slapped his face a couple of times with no result.

Oh my god, please tell me he's alive.

Pressing my fingers into the side of his neck, I was relieved by the tiny pulse that I could feel there. He was merely unconscious.

I looked back to see the tendrils sparking more and more. Beetee was putting all his weight on the lever, desperately attempting to turn it off. A sheen of sweat covered his face, as he strained against the switch.

I started dragging Peeta towards the door, taking him to safety.

"_I'm gonna get him out of here before something happens_," I thought to myself. My heat was palipating wildly inside my chest as I remembered Beetee's multiple warning about the dangers of the portal.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light lit up the room, making me instinctively close my eyes. Less than a second later, searing pain shoots through my system. I slumped over Peeta's body, a feeling of weightlessness surrounding me. I heard Beetee yell out in pain from across the room.

Then…utter silence.

* * *

**Finally, were to the point where the plot kicks off! Yay!**

**Anyway, in conclusion, Beetee is a master cockblocker, Katniss realizes her true feelings for Peeta, Peeta gets revenge on Beetee, Finnick is a lazy ass, Peet is delusional and has nightmares, and Beetee screws things up for everyone.**

**Anyway, I said I have an explaination for Beetee's cockblocking tendencies. **

**Beetee's personality is mildly based off of mine. No, I do not go sticking my hands down people's shirts, but I do love to build things, and I am a master cockblocker. All through middle school, I would cockblock for my guy friends. **

**I think the best instance was when one of my friends was trying to ask out this girl to the final dance. He had a rose in his hand and was kneeling in front of her, ready to ask her, when I came up behind him and grabbed his elbow, and dragged him off, my exact words being "I need help with my math homework,"**

**Suffice to say, I did this to a lot of my guy friends. They loved me as a friend, but seriously hated my tendency to do this. It was hilarious.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys like the little cliffy I put up there. I'll try to update by next weekend, but I have no guarantees.**

**I really appreciate all the reviews and favorites this is getting. Thanks for all the support!**

**Please REVIEW, it convinces me to finish my homework faster so I have more time to do this.**

**~Reaper**


	7. Chapter 7: Waking Up

**A/N: This update is like what...three weeks late? I'm really sorry about this. My computer died last week from a virus and the chapters of "Clockwork" and "Cursed" that I was working on were open when it died. My dad had to do a system reset, so unfortunatly, those chapters got deleted and I had to retype them. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter.**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games**

* * *

The compulsive throbbing of my head was what convinced me to get up.

I regained consciousness, feeling the scratchy cloth underneath my skin. The light penetrated through my eyelids, painting my vision red. Murmuring voices reached my ears.

"Is she awake?"

"I think I just saw her move,"

I squinted my eyes open, taking in the harsh light. I immediately close my eyes again, the throbbing in my head increasing tenfold. A small moan escaped my lips.

"Quick! Dim the light! I think it's hurting her." A familiar voice yelled out. The lights dimmed and I opened my eyes open once more.

Prim and Rory were standing at the foot of my bed, looking at me. I sighed in relief, but then froze.

This wasn't Prim and Rory. The girl standing in front of me had long hair like Prim's, tied into an intricate bun. She had icy blue eyes which stared down at me in curiousity. She was taller than my sister, and had nasty little cuts all the way down her neck, as well as tattoos on the side. The boy who looked like Rory was standing next to her, his arm around her. He had dark messy hair, and was a few inches taller than the girl. One of his ears was scarred horribly, and his glasses perched on his nose.

It wasn't these characteristics that stood out to me though. It was where the boy's other hand was lying.

On the girl's distended belly.

"What in the wo….." I said out loud, my words dying in my throat as the door opened. A girl with short choppy hair walked in, flanked by a boy with blonde hair. He smiled fondly at me and sat down at the end of my bed.

"How are you feeling Katniss?" Peet asked, his eyes twinkling. He looked much better than he had last I had seen him. His face was almost radiating happiness.

"Where the fuck am I, and who are all of these people?" I asked him, my voice scratchy and hoarse. "And why the fuck does it feel like a train rammed into me?"

Peet chuckled, shaking his head. He gestured over to the other girl, who sat down beside him.

"Look at her Katniss, and maybe you'll understand,"

I took a glance towards the girl, and sucked in a breath. It was almost as if I was looking through a mirror. My eyes widened as I realized what this meant. I froze, staring at her face.

Oh shit. Toto, we aren't in Panem anymore.

I was in Clockwork City.

Crap.

"Wait, so you're…?" I said, my question stopping midway. The girl nodded, her eyes softening. She held out a hand.

"The name's Kat Everdeen, but you already knew that," she said, as I reached out to shake her hand. She had a surprisingly strong grip.

"Katniss, I suppose you understand what happened?" Peet said gently, looking at me. I shook my head slightly, indicating for him to continue.

"Well, apparently, Beetee's little machine backfired. Somehow, through getting me back to Clockwork City, it dragged you and Peeta along as well,"

I stiffen at the mention of Peeta. Last I saw him; he had been unconscious on the floor after a weird tendril of electricity hit him. I kicked off the blankets, glad that I was still fully clothed, and jumped off the bed.

"Where's Peeta?" I asked Kat, my voice taking on a tinge of desperation. She laid a reassuring hand on my arm.

"He's fine sugar. He's in the next room over,"

I quickly scrambled out the door, and into the hallway. I located the door right next to mine and twisted the doorknob, opening it with a slight creak.

My heart leaped up into my throat.

There, on the bed, was Peeta. He was lying on his back with his eyes closed, the blankets drawn up to his chest. His skin had a sickly pallor to it, and there were dark bags underneath his eyes.

He looked sick. He looked…dead.

"His heart stopped, but we were able to restart it," comes a voice from behind me. I turn around and find myself face to face with none other than Prim.

"S-stopped?" I whimpered, my heart beating faster. His heart stopped? His fucking heart stopped? How was he not dead right now? He could have died!

I walk over to his bedside, sitting down next to his arm. His blond hair was flopped over his forehead messily, his face drawn into a peaceful expression. I brushed his bangs out of the way tenderly, careful not to wake him. I turned towards the others.

"Has he woken up yet?" I asked my voice harsh. I knew I shouldn't be snapping at these people, especially when they helped bring Peeta back, but I couldn't help the irrational irritation I was feeling towards them.

Rory stepped forward, opening his mouth to speak. "No, he hasn't woken up yet, but he has tossed and turned all night, saying your name at random intervals. He sounded like he was having a nightmare, but we weren't able to snap him out of it. It eventually faded away, and we left him alone after that,"

I turned to Peeta, stroking a finger down his jaw, which was dotted with tiny stubble.

"Am I allowed to stay with him?" I asked, gesturing towards the bed. Prim nodded, and I lifted up the blankets, and crawled in next to Peeta. His body radiated heat and warmth.

As if sensing that they were no longer welcome, Prim and Rory shuffled out. Kat and Peet walked over to me.

"Try to get some rest sweetie," Kat said, patting my cheek tenderly. She walked to the door.

"Get one of us if he wakes up," said Peet, giving me a slight peck on the forehead. It was so brotherly and loving that I instantly felt comforted and warm. I gave him a slight smile.

The two of them slipped out the door, leaving Peeta and I alone. I turned to the boy sleeping next to me, our current predicament popping into my head.

"What are we going to do?" I whispered slightly.

I snuggled into his side, and slowly drifted away.

* * *

**Again, really sorry about the delay. I'm working furiously to get another chapter of "Cursed" up as well. I'm halfway through the chapter right now, and I'm going to try to post it by the end of the day.**

**This time, I'm not going to guarantee any more update dates. Shit always seems to get in the way, so I'm just going to update whenever I can.**

**Do you guys know any good Katniss/Peeta AU fics? Like, modern day? I feel like I've read nearly all the AU fics in this fandom.**

**Also, I got a quick question. Are there any Homestucks out there? I do homestuck fanart on my deviantart, and I would really appreciate if you guys could give me feedback on it. Sorry, not much hunger games fanart. Whenever I try to draw Peeta or Katniss, they look like shit. I think the only person I can draw decently is Gale.**

**Also, if any Homestuck fans can tell me the name of any good Dave/Jade fics, I would really appreciate it. There's a shit-ton of John/Dave fics, but not enough Dave/Jade, which sucks for me cause Dave/Jade is my OTP.**

**Anyway, thanks for being patient with me. I know my update schedule has been horribly irregular, and I'll try to keep it on track. No promises though.**

**Please REVIEW. I really like to know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. Don't be afraid to give advice, or constructive criticism. I love it when people point out flaws in my stories, because it helps me improve.**

**~Reaper**


	8. Chapter 8: Adjusting

A warm cocoon surrounded my being, shielding me from the outside world, keeping me in my own safe bubble. It felt comfortable, safe, as if I could never be harmed again.

Something light and feathery brushed against the back of my neck, making me shiver slightly. A warm weight was pressed up behind me, emanating heat onto my being. It felt so…good.

"Katniss?" a low baritone voice murmured, sending vibrations through me. I grinned slightly, relishing how Peeta's voice vibrated through his chest.

Peeta.

Peeta.

_Peeta._

Oh fuck.

My eyes snap open, and my whole body stiffens as I remember the state he was in. Slowly, I turn around, careful not to make any sudden movements lest I hurt him. A deep chuckle rumbles through his chest.

"Katniss, I'm not that fragile,"

* * *

"Alright you blasted ninnies, pick up the pace!"

The harsh voice of the drill sergeant echoes through the warehouse, sending everyone scrambling. Johanna Mason was tiny; with the stature and appearance of a woodland pixie, but hell could she fight.

I run alongside Peeta, my lungs burning. Damn Mason, why did she have to push us so hard?

"Hey, h-holdin up th-th-there?" Peeta pants, sprinting beside me. His ashy blonde hair is plastered to his forehead, while sweat drips down his temples.

"J-just as f-fu-fuck-ing well as you are," I got out, taking in a strangled breath. Only one more damn lap to go and I was done. One….fucking…. lap.

I sprinted the final stretch, my calves burning, my breath stinging in my throat. As soon as I crossed the finish line though, my legs gave way, and I face planted to the side of the track. The cool floor felt blissfully good after that intense workout.

We had been in Clockwork City for a month now, a month of being away from Panem, from the family and friends that I loved. It's taken the Beetee in this dimension a month to get a basic blueprint of the portal we used to get here.

God knows how long it'll take him to get us back home.

I hear two other bodies thud next to mine. I tilt my head to the side to see Peeta lying next to me, his cheek pressed to the cold floor. Gale is on his other side, lying on his back, wheezing and panting. I look to the track to see Madge dragging her feet, trying to finish the last lap.

This has also been a new addition to our lives here. Peeta and I were able to meet some of our old friends, though they were now a year older than we remember them being. They've hung out with us quite often, showing us around and helping us train in the case of there being an assault.

Another pair of footsteps walked up to us, and I looked up to see Rory run over, hands on his knees, panting and sweating profusely. He smirked at us.

"Y'all worn out after that little thing? I just ran an extra lap"

"Shut…the…fu…fuck up… you mangy little…gahh," Gale wheezed, placing his arms over his head. I grinned slightly, tucking away this scenario to badger him about it later. He was forever ranting about how his little brother was a self-assured fuck just because he could run faster than us. I stood up smiling slightly, and ruffled Rory's hair, which was still slick with sweat. It stuck up in spikes on his head.

"How's Prim," I asked, smiling tiredly. Over the last month or so, I had truly bonded with Prim. She was supposed to have her baby boy any day now, and she and Rory were nearly vibrating with excitement.

"She's fine Katniss. Just getting really cranky nowadays. The doctor's said she could have him any day now," he says, grinning widely. Rory's happiness was infectious, and soon, all of us were giving off small smiles of our own.

Peeta stood up, sweaty and panting, and grabbed his water bottle, dumping it over his head. He shook his hair out, making us all groan as we were peppered with little water droplets.

* * *

"So you swirl the paint around like this in a clockwise direction, and then rub it down, so that it ends up looking like the bark of that tree over there," the Instructor said, dabbing brown paint onto his arm. Peeta nodded, dipping his fingers into the paint and carefully applying it to his hand. I sighed. I loved Peeta to death, but I honestly couldn't see how he found painting so captivating.

Peeta's two favorite things to do were painting and mechanical engineering. As soon as the Gears discovered our shared talent for mechanics, they immediately put both Peeta and I on weapons specialization. It was possibly the only job in this dimension that I truly enjoyed so far.

The instructor turned and looked at me expectantly, but I just waved him off. "I think I'll just watch for today," he frowned slightly, and I sighed. I knew I had to use my one hour of special skills practice today, but I honestly didn't feel like doing shit. I stood next to Peeta and watched him guide the paint around his arm in precise, slow strokes. His blonde hair flopped onto his forehead and his pale eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks as he blinked. I stared; enraptured by the way he seemed to be in another world when he was doing the things he loved.

"Enjoyin' the view?"

I snapped out of my stupor, feeling myself blush beet red. Had I really been ogling at him? God fucking dammit, he caught me staring at him. I could feel my ears begin to heat up.

He chuckled and dipped his fingers into the paint again, reapplying the color in certain areas, making it slightly darker and more realistic. A sudden idea snapped into my head and I smirked.

I slowly dipped my fingers into the dark green paint, and hid them behind my back. Moving carefully, I stood right next to him, placing one arm on his shoulder and leaning on him.

"Oh Peeetaaa," I cooed, right next to his ear. It took all my self-control not to snicker as he drew in a sharp intake of breath. Slowly, he turned to me.

"Yeah," he croaked his voice cracking. Oh damn, this is too funny to pass up. I can't believe he's getting this flustered over a simple touch. I leaned in closer, enjoying the way his cheeks and ears began to flush. His body turned towards me and I backed him up against the table, placing one arm on his chest. He held his breath, his eyes going wide.

"You wanna know what wan't to do to you right now?" I asked, deepening my voice and hoping it sounded sultry and seductive. Based on his reaction, I'm guessing it did. He gulped slightly as I brought my face closer to his.

Just as his lips were about to touch mine, I brought my paint smeared hand up and placed it against his cheek, leaving a green handprint on his cheekbone.

For a moment he froze, unable to comprehend what happened. A sly smile worked its way up to his face.

"Everdeen, that was a dirty move you just pulled there," he said, stepping forward. With no warning whatsoever, he brought his paint smeared hands up, and rubbed them down my face, past my neck, and down my arms.

Why that son of a-

I glared at him, causing him to emit a chuckle. Quick as a flash, I darted over to the table and picked up a black hue. With little hesitation, I grabbed a globful, and smeared it all over his hair. His lighthearted laugh boomed through the room as he grabbed a bright blue paint and smeared it on my shirt.

Back and forth, we continued fighting with paint, splattering it at each other. We only ceased our small fight when we turned around and saw the instructor glaring at us from the door.

"Five fucking minutes and you two can't stay out of trouble," he says, walking over. He looks at the mess we made.

"You two are cleaning up this mess, no excuses," he said, walking towards the door. "It better be clean when I come back in here tomorrow,"

And with that, he leaves.

I look at Peeta, with his hair turned black by paint and multiple colors swirled around his arms and face. I probably looked worse, due to the immense amount of groping Peeta did, smearing the paint all over me.

I quickly dipped my fingers in some bright green paint, and turned around to smear it on him when suddenly, he grabbed my wrist. I looked at him in surprise, and he chuckled, simply bringing his face closer to mine. His lips met mine, warm and supple.

All thoughts of the fight fled my mind as soon as he kissed me. I brought my hands up, putting them on either side of his face and closing my eyes. I deepened the kiss, moving my fingers to his hair.

It was wonderful, gentle and sweet. He tasted like mint, smelled like cinnamon and sugar and something undeniably Peeta. His mouth was warm and soft on mine, filling me with a heavenly sense of bliss.

The sound of someone clearing their throat made us part as we looked towards the door to see who the intruder was. Beetee was standing there, a smirk on his face. Peeta groaned.

"You're just as bad of a cockblocker as the Beetee back home," he said, scowling. Beetee chuckled.

"Oh, trust me, there's been worse done down here than kissing. By your age, Wiress and I had already had our first kid,"

Peeta flushed, glaring at Beetee, whose expression turned suddenly somber.

"I need you two to come with me. Coin called a meeting"

* * *

**Okay, so I realize these last two chapters have been kinda boring and fluffy. Don't worry though, events are gonna breeze by again by the next chapter!**

**Reviews are appreciated.**

**~Reaper**


	9. AUTHOR'S NOTE - VERY IMPORTANT

**Sorry for the alert guys, but this is NOT a new chapter.**

**Lately, I've been kind of fading away from this story a bit. I still remember where I wanted to go with this, it's just, I can't really put it to words.**

**As I've been working on the new chapter, it felt like I was forcing myself to write. **

**That was not my original intention. I write because I love writing, and because its fun, but for some reason, I feel like I'm forcing myself to write this story, and it's become a pain in the ass for me when I do that.**

**So officially, I'm putting this story on HIATUS until summer arrives. If I glean up some random bout of inspiration by then, I may post a chapter or so, but other than that, there will be no more chapters in this story until summer arrives and I can properly sort out my thoughts and get the plot charted out.**

**I know a lot of you love this story, and many of you told me you liked how original it was. The story will still go in the direction intended, it will just be delayed.**

**I truly am sorry guys. Between being bogged down by homework and dealing with other shit in my life, I have very little time to write fanfiction. I really want to ENJOY what I'm writing, and I want the inspiration to come freely.**

**I will still be updating 'Cursed' for any of you who are reading that. That will be the only Hunger Games fanfiction I will be actively updating. The other two which I'm writing are part of the Homestuck fandom.**

**I'm sorry guys, but I have to do this.**

**Thank you all for following this story and giving me such great feedback. Stay patient, and I'll continue this soon enough.**

**I love you all, and I'm so so sorry.**

**~Reaper**


End file.
